The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 637: Unclear Sorrow
There are only five most powerful countries in the world.

The United States, the Soviet Union, China, Britain, and France!
Other countries are far behind them!

This gap is not a little bit!
The United States, as the biggest beneficiary of World War I and World War II, grew rapidly after the end of World War II. Relying on its powerful navy, it became the maritime hegemon. It has hundreds of military bases around the world, controls major shipping nodes around the world, has the world's most powerful navy and air force, and has great control over Europe's economy and politics. Relying on its advantages in finance, media, and military, it influences the whole world.

The Soviet Union, the second largest beneficiary of World War II, has the most powerful army in the world, the most vast territory, and is the world's first socialist country. It has a very strong appeal in the world. Together with the United States, it dismembered the British and French colonies and is also a superpower that can compete with the United States.

Britain, you may think that Britain has lost its large colonies and maritime hegemony, and is just a small country. In fact, as the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if it loses its maritime hegemony and financial hegemony, Britain has strong strength in culture, politics, economy and military. When looking at Britain, we cannot just look at the British Isles, but also the numerous Commonwealth. Britain has great influence in the entire Commonwealth, and even the Queen of England is their common queen.

The same is true for France. France not only looks at its own territory, but also at its sphere of influence. France has a very strong influence in Europe, and this influence is extremely terrifying.

Africa is the financial breakwater of the franc and the source of France's "wool". France has a huge political and economic influence in Africa, and its military presence in Africa is also very strong. Many African countries seem to be independent, but in fact they are still vassals of their former colonial masters.

There is a famous saying here: Without Africa, France would become a third world country.

Britain and France still rely on their influence to seize the talent, wealth and resources of their dependent countries.

There seem to be nearly 200 countries in this world, but there are not many countries that truly have independence!

This is also why it has always been emphasized that relations between major powers are the core of international relations!
Major powers are the main force in international relations and they also influence the world situation.

As Panshan Group continues to grow and develop, Liu Tao feels this boundary more and more!

The sense of boundaries is getting stronger!

For example, if you want to develop in Africa, you will inevitably encounter the forces of Britain, France, Italy, the Soviet Union, the United States and other countries in Africa, and even be interfered with.

This is not the case if you say friendly cooperation and win-win cooperation will not be disturbed, because your existence affects their interests.

When you try to engage in constructive cooperation, others will try to sabotage and disrupt your efforts.

Destruction is much easier than construction and the cost is much smaller.

This is why, so far, Panshan Group has only five countries where it has real influence on the African continent.

As for other things, it is not easy to start some cooperation.

Liu Tao pondered for a moment and slid his fingers towards Libya.

Libya is in a very bad situation now. Operation Prairie Fire and Operation El Dorado Canyon have caused great losses to Libya. Cities have been bombed and many buildings have become ruins. Many oil wells have been bombed, and coupled with the difficulties caused by the Americans, Libya's post-war work has not yet been completed.

Kamagra's attitude towards the United States is getting tougher, and Libya's financial situation is not optimistic. Reconstruction requires a lot of money, and even if Kamagra obtains a large loan from the Soviet Union and Europe, it will probably take at least one or two years to restore oil production and exports.

Moreover, now, the relationship between Libya and the Soviet Union is getting closer. The Soviet Union has three military bases in Libya, including a naval port. A Soviet fleet has been stationed in that naval port for a long time, making it impossible for any country along the Mediterranean coast to ignore the existence of the Soviet Union.

The most intense friction between the two sides in the past two years occurred in the Mediterranean.

Liu Tao showed hesitation. Libya's post-war reconstruction was actually a huge business. If he participated in it, he would surely make a lot of profit. Libya needed anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship missiles, but Liu Tao did not dare to take any risks for fear of retaliation.

Americans have never been generous people.

As for guns, bullets, artillery shells, tanks and the like, Libya has no shortage of them.

Because in the previous "Operation Prairie Fire" and "Operation El Dorado Canyon", Libya had to face the US Air Force and Navy, and the biggest consumption was air defense missiles and anti-ship missiles, and the "Aegis" air defense missiles and "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missiles both caused heavy damage to the US Air Force and Navy.

He shook his head slightly, thinking the risk was too great and not worth it.

Liu Tao then turned his attention to South Africa, which now has a population of 3700 million and is the only major African country currently mired in civil war.

South Africa is located at the southernmost tip of the African continent, with a land area of ​​121.91 million square kilometers. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, south and west. There are three capitals: the administrative capital Pretoria, the legislative capital Cape Town, and the judicial capital Bloemfontein. There are black, colored and white people. In history, South Africa has successively become a colony of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It was not until 1961 that South Africa was considered a country.

An interesting thing to say is that about ten years ago, the South African government launched a nuclear weapons development program, aiming to produce six deliverable nuclear weapons within ten years.

However, in fact, South Africa produced its first atomic bomb as early as 1977. South Africa notified the United States of this "good news" that year. What the South African authorities did not expect was that the United States severely warned South Africa not to act rashly, but South Africa had to launch the arrow on the string. In 1978, the Soviet satellite detected South Africa's nuclear test, and South Africa's possession of nuclear weapons was made public by the Soviet Union. Subsequently, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council imposed a strict blockade on South Africa.

Just this year, the South African government decided to completely abandon its nuclear weapons and destroy all of South Africa's nuclear weapons and nuclear facilities within more than a year.

Speaking of which, Liu Tao is still very interested in South Africa because South Africa is so rich in resources. There are more than 70 kinds of minerals with proven reserves and mining. The reserves of gold, platinum group metals, manganese, vanadium, chromium, silicon and aluminates rank first in the world, and gold reserves account for 60% of the world's total.

In recent years, through underground transactions, security companies have been able to obtain nearly ten tons of gold every year.

If you can do business honestly, the benefits will be greater.

Unfortunately, the situation there is too complicated now, and Liu Tao doesn’t dare to go too deep.

Liu Tao frowned. He found that the only place in the world that could still do big business in the military industry was the Middle East. Other places could only be considered small-scale operations.

What makes Liu Tao a little unclear is whether the Gulf War will break out again?
(End of this chapter)